Detect dehydration in plants with new COF sensors

MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) have initiated Covalent Organic Framework (COF) sensors that provide an early indication of drought stress in plants. 

Researchers said these sensors are integrated within silk fibroin (SF) microneedles that are capable of detecting pH changes in plant xylem tissues. This advanced technology can detect a reduction in acidity in plant xylem tissues, providing early warning of drought stress in plants up to 48 hours before traditional methods. 

A number of agricultural challenges continue to escalate and adversely affect crop production and yield, due to which farmers are often unable to implement proactive measures or pre-symptomatic diagnosis for early and timely intervention. 

SMART’s breakthrough addresses a long-standing challenge for COF-based sensors, which were - until now - unable to interact with biological tissues. COFs are networks of organic molecules or polymers - which contain carbon atoms bonded to elements like hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen - arranged into consistent, crystal-like structures, which change colour according to different pH levels.

This novel COF-based sensor allows early detection of drought stress in plants through real-time measuring of pH levels in plant xylem tissues, thereby helping farmers optimise crop production and yield amid evolving climate patterns and environmental conditions. 

“SF microneedles are robust and can be designed to remain stable even when interfacing with biological tissues. They are also transparent, which allows multidimensional mapping in a minimally invasive manner," said senior postdoctoral associate at SMART DiSTAP and co-first author, Dr Yangyang Han.